House, my ass. I knew a castle when I saw one.
Arric
WE TRAVELED THROUGH a narrow pathway which led to the side of the castle.
“This is the private staff entrance,” Alasdair explained, placing his hand on the security panel to the side of the door. The panel chimed twice, glowed green, and the door opened automatically. “The house is very old, but the security system is state of the art,” he said, motioning me inside to a small reception area.
An attractive young woman with jet black hair and bright green eyes sat behind an ornate antique desk. She was dressed in black military-style fatigues and looked to be in her mid-twenties.
“Good afternoon, Mr. Ryan,” she said in a formal, but friendly tone. “Haven’t the games started?”
“Yes, Sergeant, but I have a matter to discuss with this gentleman that requires my immediate attention,” Alasdair replied.
The sergeant nodded. “Yes, sir.”
“We also need privacy. Is the library free?”
“Let me check, sir,” she said, pulling up what looked like a live video feed on her tablet. “All clear, sir.”
“Good. Thank you, Sergeant Lennox,” Alasdair said, before turning to me. “Follow me, stay close, and don’t talk to anyone.”
“What the hell is all this?” I asked.
“This is one of two secured waiting areas in which all guests and staff enter and exit the residence. The other is at the main entrance, but I thought it best if we came in this way,” Alasdair said, motioning me toward the only other door in the room. “Security is always tight this time of year, as the games attract all manner of guests.”
“Hold on,” I said, stopping. “How do I know you’re not taking me down to some sort of sex dungeon or something.”
A giggle escaped from the young sergeant, drawing the ire of her boss.
“Composure,” Alasdair barked, and she stowed her smile.
He turned back to me. “Mr. Mann, I can assure you, we merely want to talk.”
“Now you sound less like a sex trafficker and more like a cop,” I accused, still trying to decide if I should follow him further or make one last attempt at bolting.
Sergeant Lennox laughed again causing Alasdair to blow his top.
“Ég varaði þig við, liðþjálfi,”he said sternly.
The young sergeant stood at full attention. “Herra, ég biðst afsökunar. Ég veit ekki hvað kom yfir mig,” she replied, her face, set to a steely gaze.
“Kannski geturðu komist að því þegar þú ert í sex vikna næturvörslu,” Alasdair replied, this time eliciting a reaction from me.
“Six weeks? All she did was snicker, man,” I said.
Alasdair’s head snapped to me. “What did you just say?”
“I said, six weeks of night watch is a bit hefty for an involuntary laugh over what wasn’t entirely a joke,” I replied.
“How the hell do you speak Icelandic?”
“I don’t,” I replied.
“I would strongly advise you not to play games with me, Mr. Mann.”
“I don’t know what you want me to say. I don’t speak Icelandic, but I understood whatever it was you just said to her.” I pointed to Sergeant Lennox.
“That’s it. I’ve had enough of this,” Alasdair snapped. “You’re coming with me and you’re gonna tell me exactly who the hell you are.”
